Cotton-gin.



T. D. FALLON.

COTTON GIN. APFLIOATION nun JULY 15, 1900.

970,482. Patented Sept. 20, 1910.

314w nfoz jmwlwm T. D. FALLON. COTTON em. APPLICATION TILED JULY15,1909. 970,482. Patented Sept. 20, 1910.

8 BEBIITE-BHEET 2.

J a I v'stwlawo I aftoznmp T. D. FALLON.

COTTON GIN.

APPLIOATION TILED JULY 15, 1909. 970,482, Patented Sept. 20, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES THOMAS D. FALLON, OF PRATTVILLE, ALABAMA.

COTTON-GIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 20, 1910.

Application filed July 15, 1909. Serial No. 507,778.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS D. FALLoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Prattville, in the county of Autauga and State of Alabama,have lnvented a new and useful Cotton-Gin, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to cotton gin systems and to gins for use inconnection therewith.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide ginning mechanismwherein air is utilized for the purpose of removing lint from the ginsaws, the air being so directed as to exert a blowing as well as asucking action upon the lint, thus combining the advantages of theair-blast gins and the gins in which suction is utilized for strippingthe gin saws.

A further object is to provide a ginning system in which one fan can beutilized for producing both the blast and the suction necessary for theproper action of the lint within the system.

A further object is to provide a gin having novel means for directingair between the saws and into the lint flue.

Another object is to provide simple and etfieient means whereby motesand other objeetionable particles can be readily removed from the lintflue.

lVith these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter morefully described and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a cotton ginning systemembodying the present improvements Fig. 2 is a frontelevation of saidapparatus. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line A Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates thebreast of the gin, the same being provided with the usual seed board 2,and grate 3, the gin saws 4 of course projecting between the bars of thegrate in the ordinary manner. An air-distributing tube 5 is supportedwithin the gin.

frame 6 and has a discharge nozzle 7 of the same width as the gang ofsaws in the gin. The lower wall of this nozzle merges into the upperconvex Wall 8 of the lint flue 9 of the gin, this wall extending underthe tube 5. The front wall 10 of the lint flue terminates close to butbelow the gin saws t and is connected to the upper wall of the nozzle 7,by means of a grate 11, the bars of which extend between the gin saws.As shown in Fig. 3 the lint flue is troughshaped and the bottom thereofconsists of a slide 12, having a rack 13 on its lower face which mesheswith an actuating gear 14. Obviously, by rotating this gear the slide 12can be shifted so as to open the bottom of the lint flue and permitmotes and the like to escape therefrom. The lint fine 9 has an upwardlyand rearwardly inclined extension 15 opening into a return tube 16,there being a valve 17 within the extension 15, and by means of whichthe passage of air and lint from the flue 9 to the tube 16 may becontrolled.

Any desired number of gins such as herein described can be embodied in abattery utilized in connection with the complete apparatus, it beingunderstood that one distributing tube 5 extends transversely through allof the gins as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. All of the extensions 15of the lint lines 9 also open into the one return tube 16. This tube,which gradually increases in transverse area toward its discharge end,opens into a flared discharge head 18, which, in turn, directs lint intothe con denser C. This condenser constitutes the subject matter of aseparate application. .It might be said however that the same includes ascreen 19 mounted for rotation in the path of the air current enteringthe condenser from the head 18, and air chambers 20 are located in theends of the condenser to receive the air after it has passed into thescreen. These air chambers are connected to lines 21 which in turn openinto the easing 22 of a fan, it being understood that the distributingllue or tube 5 extends from this casing.

In using the apparatus herein described cotton is fed to the variousgins included in the battery, and the saws -t carry it between the barsof the grate 11 and into the inlet end of the lint flue 9. As theseteeth pass between the bars of the grate 11 they are brought into thepath of an air blast discharged from the nozzle 7 and the lint is thusblown into the flue 9. In view of the size of the trough-like portion ofthe lint flue 9 the force of the blast becomes spent therein and themotes and other undcrsirable parts drop by gravity on to the bottom ofthe flue 9 and can therefore be discharged past the slide or mote board12. The lint, which constitutes the lighter particles contained withinthe flue 9, is sucked upwardly and outwardly through the extension andinto the return tube 16, this being due to the fact that the fanproducing the blast from each nozzle 7 is supplied with air solelythrough the flues 21, and therefore a suction is established through thereturn tube 16 and the condenser to the air chambers 20 and the flues21. It will be apparent therefore that the lint will be thus conveyed tothe revoluble screen Within the condenser and will here be removed whilethe air utilized for conveying the lint to the condenser will be againused in the manner hereinbefore described.

It will be seen that by-constructing the apparatus in the manner hereinset forth a single fan can be utilized for producing air blasts designedto strip lint from the gin saws, and the same fan will set up a suctionfor the purpose of drawing the freed lint j a suction through the lintflue, suction flue into the condenser.

Obviously mechanism such as herein described is advantageous because ofits simplicity, and because there are few parts to 5 get out of order.The power required to operate the mechanism is reduced to the minimum,and, by utilizing a blast for stripping lint from the saws and thenutilizing suction for the purpose of conveying lint from the lint flueto the condenser, theseparation of motes, etc., from the lint within thelint flue is greatly facilitated. This is due, 1 primarily, to the factthat the force of the slotted end thereof toward a point between 1- itsends, gin saws projecting through the slots, nozzles for directing etsof air against the saws and into the flue toward the enlarged portionthereof, a condenser having an inlet and an outlet, a suction flueconnecting the lint flue with the inlet of the condenser, said lint andsuction flues forming a continuous flue from the nozzles to thecondenser, a blast flue connecting the outlet of the condenser with thenozzles, and a fan housed within the blast flue' for creating a andcondenser, and for forcing the air through the nozzles and into the lintflue, the blast discharged through the nozzles and into said flue beingdissipated in the intermediate enlarged portion of the flue.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS D. FALLON.

Witnesses:

J N0. \VAnswoRTH, GUY Bron.

